India Calls US Media Report on Maldives Plot to Oust Muizzu 'Baseless and Misleading

India has firmly dismissed allegations reported by a media outlet suggesting that the Maldives opposition requested financial assistance from New Delhi, amounting to USD 6 million, to overthrow Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu. The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, expressed strong disapproval during a press briefing, pointing out a consistent bias against India by both the newspaper and the journalist responsible for the report. Jaiswal criticized the credibility of the claims, implying that the reporters' previous actions should cast doubt on their current allegations.

In his remarks, Jaiswal highlighted the lack of credibility the publication and reporter hold in the eyes of India's External Affairs Ministry, suggesting a habitual animosity that undermines their reports. He further encouraged the public to assess the reliability of the sources themselves.

According to a report published by The Washington Post on Monday, opposition politicians from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) allegedly attempted to secure USD 6 million from India earlier this year in a plot to impeach Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. However, the report adds that the plan did not come to fruition.

The article, which is based on an internal document titled the "Democratic Renewal Initiative," details a scheme to bribe up to 40 members of the Maldivian Parliament, including some from Muizzu's own party, to gather votes for his impeachment.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives denied any knowledge of such a plot and emphasized that India would never support such an effort.

The document, which The Washington Post claims to have obtained, also outlined plans to bribe several senior military and police officials and enlisted the help of three powerful criminal gangs in the country to ensure Muizzu's removal from office.

The report states: "In an internal document titled 'Democratic Renewal Initiative' obtained by The Washington Post, Maldivian opposition politicians proposed bribing 40 members of parliament, including those from Muizzu's own party (People's National Congress), to vote to impeach him."

The plotters sought 87 million Maldivian rufiyaa (approximately USD 6 million) to fund the bribery, and according to two Maldivian officials, the money was to be requested from India.

The document further indicated that, by January 2024, individuals with links to India's intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), had begun discreet talks with Maldivian opposition leaders to explore the possibility of removing Muizzu from office. Despite months of covert discussions, the plan failed to gain the necessary parliamentary support to proceed.

The report also notes that it remains unclear whether the plan was approved by senior officials in the Indian government and whether India had considered backing the impeachment of Muizzu.

Two unnamed Maldivian officials confirmed to the US daily that, while the talks took place, the plan ultimately did not materialize.